07/12/2026

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most influential documents in our nation's history. Its principal author, Thomas Jefferson, remains one of the most fascinating figures among our Founding Fathers. Yet one of the lesser-known projects of his later years reveals something just as significant about his personal beliefs.

Near the end of his life, Jefferson assembled what has come to be known as the Jefferson Bible, though its formal title was The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. It was, quite literally, "Scripture by subtraction." Jefferson took a razor to the pages of the Gospels, cutting and pasting together only those passages that he considered reasonable, moral, or inspiring, while leaving behind anything he regarded as miraculous or theologically extravagant. Interestingly, one of the passages he preserved is part of this Sunday's Gospel:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Who wouldn't want to keep those beautiful words? They have comforted generations of believers and continue to bring peace to weary hearts. But Jefferson omitted the verses that immediately precede them:

"No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

That omission tells us something important. Jefferson was a deist. He believed in God as Creator—an intelligent designer who set the universe in motion—but not in a personal God who intervenes in history, speaks to humanity, or enters into a living relationship with us. It made sense, then, that Jefferson would preserve Jesus' moral teachings while removing His claims about His own identity. For Jefferson, Jesus was an inspiring teacher. But a living relationship with the risen Son of God was simply not part of his worldview.

This highlights the central claim of Christianity: Our faith is not merely that Jesus teaches us about God. Our faith is that Jesus reveals God to us.

That claim can make people uncomfortable, especially in an age that rightly values respectful dialogue among religions. We gladly acknowledge the goodness and truth found in many religious traditions. Yet Christians also profess something unique and extraordinary: Jesus is not simply another wise teacher or one more voice among many. His teachings are profound, though many of His moral insights had already been anticipated in various ways. What is truly revolutionary is not simply what Jesus teaches but who He claims to be:

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

That is an astonishing claim. Christianity has always been centered not primarily on a philosophy or an ethical system but on a Person. The heart of our faith is relationship.

That is why Jesus does not simply say, "Come to my teachings," or "Come to my values," or even, "Come to my example." He says, "Come to me."

At first glance, His invitation seems surprising because He immediately speaks of taking on His "yoke." We usually think of a yoke as something burdensome. Even in everyday speech, relationships can sometimes be described that way—the "old ball and chain," strained friendships, or responsibilities that weigh heavily upon us.

Yet, despite the challenges they sometimes bring, relationships are also what give life its deepest meaning. Our greatest joys are found in loving and being loved. We discover strength in family, friendship, and community. We find consolation when others walk beside us in times of suffering.

The greatest consolation of all is found in the relationship in which we are loved to our very core by the Source of all love. Jesus reveals the Father not merely by speaking about God's love but by loving us Himself. His love is revelatory. In encountering Jesus, we encounter the very heart of God.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is worth remembering that the Declaration was about severing a political relationship that had become oppressive. It proclaimed freedom from an earthly power.

Jesus offers another kind of declaration of independence: He offers

• freedom from the yoke of sin.
• freedom from fear.
• freedom from guilt.
• freedom from the exhausting burden of trying to save ourselves.

This freedom does not come through a list of principles or a carefully crafted document. It comes through a relationship.

"Come to me..." Those words have an extraordinary power. I have prayed them at hospital bedsides as someone approached the end of life. I have seen the peace they bring to the dying and the comfort they offer to grieving families after long suffering. But they are not only for life's final moments. They are for every one of us, here and now. For those carrying burdens that no one else can see. For those who are weary. For those searching for peace.

Jesus does not simply point us toward God. He is the One through whom we have access to the Father. To come to Jesus is to come into the very presence of God. And in Him, at last, we find the rest our hearts have been searching for.

– Rev. James F. Hurlbert